Power-Sipping Bulbs Get Backing From Wal-Mart

new york times ^ | 1/2/07 | MICHAEL BARBARO

[elmer fudd]

A box of 4 60 watt bulbs is 88 cents. one CF is around 8 bucks. It will take a long time to make up the cost difference. The light seems weird, too, and they suck in the cold. Thse differences aside, they are great.

You're getting ripped off if you're paying $8 a bulb. I can usually find them for around $2. I went to CF's years ago because I got tired of changing light bulbs every week, expecially the one in my stairwell that required a stepladder. Three years later it's still on the same bulb. I probably would have had to lug out the ladder 10 times by now if I were using incandescents.

[Gabz]

The New York [behind the] Times.

Excellent!!!!

[fish hawk]

Has anyone done the math? So I buy ten bulbs at eight dollars = $80. At the end of the month how much less is my Electric bill? They better last a very long time because that is how long it will take me to get my eighty dollars back.

[TomGuy]

I use some, but the fact is, most people aren't going to pay $8 for a light bulb even if it lasted forever and never used a sip of energy.

Check the stores. The prices have come down tremendously. Most are NOT $8.00 any more.

[Jaysun]

I've filled my house with compact fluorescent bulbs. The light isn't as good but they apparently last much longer. And I can't say that there's been a noticeable difference on our electric bill. I've had them for about a year now.

[atomicpossum]

Why can't these be used with a dimmer switch?

The variable power apparently burns out the transformer. As will a 3-way switch, as I found out, though I have seen 3-way compatible CFs at the store recently.

[isthisnickcool]

A simple solution for saving electricity: cut the nations street lights in half. Why do we really need all this light pollution?? Secondary benefit -- see the stars clearly on a cloudless night.

You can get large lights similiar to street lights using the flourescent bulbs. They work really well and suck very little electricity in comparison.

[Myrddin]

I switched to all CF at the house in San Diego. It made great economic sense with the skyrocketing price of electricity. I still do it at the house in Idaho. It's a paying proposition...even at the lower electric rates in Idaho. I can use the electricity saved to keep the network devices powered up 24X7.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I bought a bunch of them when Lowes put them on clearance for 6 bucks for a pack of 5. I also picked some up at a buck a piece, and am always looking for clearance items like this.

I use them in almost all my light fixtures, except my 3-way reading lamps (although I did replace MY lamp with a 150-watt equivalent for my own reading).

I left a couple of old bulbs in my bathrooms with the new bulbs in multi-bulb fixtures just to get a more natural light.

My next set of bulbs will be LED bulbs, I hope. My brother just got into a sales organization pushing energy-efficient lighting for businesses.

[TruthWillWin]

I use these bulbs in Almost all my lights at home. They don't seem to last as long as they claim...........

In my experience that is correct...They last longer than they claim.

[Gabz]

I'm not saving the planet...I'm cheap!

LOL!!! That makes 2 of us.

[mfnorman]

thanks for your recommendation. i may look into them.

[Lazamataz]

There is a new light source on the horizen that is even more efficient.

[GSlob]

LED lamps: spectral quality of what is available is narrow band [i.e. atrocious. The worst narrow band lights are yellow sodium vapor arc lamps]. So-called white is on the bluish side. Even if sourced from electronic surplus, the price is high [$10 for 1 watt LED]. 1 watter heats pretty well, and is best mounted on a small heat sink, and takes about 4V DC.

[Red Badger]

Mine sure don't! I think it must be a fraud! I want Congressional Committees! I want an investigation! I want the government to bail me out!..................

[Gorzaloon]

LED replacement bulbs are the way of the future. 10 times more efficient than even CF bulbs.

Yes. I've wondered about these too, and I've been interested in them. Do you have any experience with the type of light produced by these bulbs?

The upfront cost is pretty high, so I'd hate to buy it if I didn't like the light. How does it compare to other bulbs?

They are not ready for prime time yet, but I have a 20 Watt Equivalent for glareless lighting at the computer desk.

Super Bright LEDs

[Gabz]

Easy for me to say since I live in the country now and have never had an outside light within a 1/4 mile of my house.

LOL!!!!!

We have an outside "streetlight" that is an option from the electric company.....we don't have to have it, but it sure makes a difference on this dark country road. I forget exactly what type of bulb it is, but it is not a harsh light and I have to say it has saved us from having a couple maniacs come round the curve and wind up in our front or side yard.

[Red Badger]

Corkscrews and some look like long U-Loops........

[TruthWillWin]

The variable power apparently burns out the transformer. As will a 3-way switch, as I found out, though I have seen 3-way compatible CFs at the store recently.

I've never had a problem using them on 3-way switches? Dimmers are a no-no but I've used them also on circuits with a photocell with no problems even though the package said not to use with dimmers or photocell.

I've never seen a warning about 3 way switches but some times I don't read all the fine print.

[CharlesWayneCT]

But the incandescents don't last as long there either. I started using them in my outside lamp because it burns all evening, and I replace it about once a year instead of 4 times a year, still a lot but with the energy costs I'm saving, plus not having to replace the bulb that often (which involves getting out a stepstool) I come out ahead.

I'm using one for my garage door opener now, the shaking really breaks the other bulbs fast (I switched to expensive appliance bulbs but it didn't help). There isn't any filiment to shake apart so I'm hoping the lamp will last just as long as it would anywhere else.